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EuroLeague Basketball history

How does the EuroLeague work?

The EuroLeague, known in full as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for sponsorship reasons (and formerly known as the European Champions Cup, from its creation in 1958 until 1991), is the most prestigious European professional basketball competition. Widely recognized as such, it is also one of the most popular leagues.

In terms of its format, the Euroleague is a single group of 18 teams. Each of them plays all the others twice (once at home and once away, for a total of 34 games played by each team) during what is called the regular season. After that, the top eight teams advance to the Euroleague playoffs. The regular season standings are used to determine which teams will play each other in the quarterfinals (the 1st against the 8th, the 4th against the 5th, the 2nd against the 7th and the 3rd against the 6th), which are played in a best-of-five game format. And in each pairing, the higher placed team has home court advantage in the series, playing 3 of 5 games at home.

The four remaining teams, representing the elite of European basketball, meet in the Final Four, which takes place over a weekend at a predetermined location. It consists of two semi-finals, a third-place game and the grand final, with each round being played in one round. The team that makes it through this fast-paced mini-tournament wins the Euroleague and becomes European champions.

Which teams participate in the EuroLeague and how do they get into the competition?

The EuroLeague is a semi-closed league, which consists of 18 teams, the best in their country and the best in Europe. 13 of them have long-term licenses and are members of the Executive Board of Shareholders. These 13 licensed clubs are currently:

• Spain: Baskonia - Barcelona - Real Madrid
• Turkey: Anadolu Efes - Fenerbahce
• Greece: Olympiakos - Panathinaikos
• France: ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
• Israel: Maccabi Tel Aviv
• Italy: Olimpia Milano
• Germany: Bayern Munich
• Lithuania: Zalgiris Kaunas
• Russia: CSKA Moscow

The five remaining EuroLeague spots are held by five associate clubs with short-term licenses: one two-year wild card, two one-year wild cards and the two finalists from the last season of the EuroCup, Europe's second tier competition.

Which team has won the EuroLeague the most times in its history?
The most successful club in the Euroleague is none other than Real Madrid, with ten titles won. Next is CSKA Moscow, which has lifted the trophy 8 times. Tied behind are Maccabi Tel Aviv and Panathinaikos, with 6 titles.

In total, the EuroLeague title has been won by 21 different clubs, 13 of which have won it more than once. 

Euroleague Champions and Award Winners

Euroleague Champions

SEASON	LEAGUE CHAMPIONS	REG. SEASON
2019-2020	No Champion	Standing
2018-2019	CSKA Moscow	Standing
2017-2018	Real Madrid	Standing
2016-2017	Fenerbahce	Standing
2015-2016	CSKA Moscow	Standing
2014-2015	Real Madrid	Standing
2013-2014	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Standing
2012-2013	Olympiacos	Standing
2011-2012	Olympiacos	Standing
2010-2011	Panathinaikos	Standing
2009-2010	F.C. Barcelona	Standing
2008-2009	Panathinaikos	Standing
2007-2008	CSKA Moscow	Standing
2006-2007	Panathinaikos	Standing
2005-2006	CSKA Moscow	Standing
2004-2005	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Standing
2003-2004	Maccabi Tel Aviv	Standing
2002-2003	F.C. Barcelona	Standing
2001-2002	Panathinaikos	Standing
2000-2001	Virtus Segafredo Bologna	Standing
1999-2000	Panathinaikos	-
1998-1999	Zalgiris	-
1997-1998	Virtus Segafredo Bologna	-
1996-1997	Olympiacos	-
1995-1996	Panathinaikos	-
1994-1995	Real Madrid	-
1993-1994	Joventut Badalona	-
1992-1993	Limoges	-
1991-1992	Partizan	-
1990-1991	Split	-
1989-1990	Split	-
1988-1989	Split	-
1987-1988	Milano	-

Euroleague Final Four MVPs

SEASON	PLAYER	TEAM
2019-2020	-	-
2018-2019	Will Clyburn	CSKA Moscow
2017-2018	Luka Doncic	Real Madrid
2016-2017	Ekpe Udoh	Fenerbahce
2015-2016	Nando De Colo	CSKA Moscow
2014-2015	Andres Nocioni	Real Madrid
2013-2014	Tyrese Rice	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2012-2013	Vassilis Spanoulis	Olympiacos
2011-2012	Vassilis Spanoulis	Olympiacos
2010-2011	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2009-2010	Juan Carlos Navarro	F.C. Barcelona
2008-2009	Vassilis Spanoulis	Panathinaikos
2007-2008	Trajan Langdon	CSKA Moscow
2006-2007	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2005-2006	Theo Papaloukas	CSKA Moscow
2004-2005	Sarunas Jasikevicius	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2003-2004	Anthony Parker	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2002-2003	Dejan Bodiroga	F.C. Barcelona
2001-2002	Dejan Bodiroga	Panathinaikos
2000-2001	Manu Ginobili	Virtus Segafredo Bologna
1999-2000	Zeljko Rebraca	Panathinaikos
1998-1999	Tyus Edney	Zalgiris
1997-1998	Zoran Savic	Virtus Segafredo Bologna
1996-1997	David Rivers	Olympiacos
1995-1996	Dominique Wilkins	Panathinaikos
1994-1995	Arvydas Sabonis	Real Madrid
1993-1994	Zarko Paspalj	Joventut Badalona
1992-1993	Toni Kukoc	Treviso
1991-1992	Sasha Danilovic	Partizan
1990-1991	Toni Kukoc	Split
1989-1990	Toni Kukoc	Split
1988-1989	Dino Radja	Split
1987-1988	Bob McAdoo	Milano

Euroleague Regular Season MVPs

SEASON	PLAYER	TEAM
2019-2020	-	-
2018-2019	Jan Vesely	Fenerbahce
2017-2018	Luka Doncic	Real Madrid
2016-2017	Sergio Llull	Real Madrid
2015-2016	Nando De Colo	CSKA Moscow
2014-2015	Nemanja Bjelica	Fenerbahce
2013-2014	Sergio Rodriguez	Real Madrid
2012-2013	Vassilis Spanoulis	Olympiacos
2011-2012	Andrei Kirilenko	CSKA Moscow
2010-2011	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2009-2010	Milos Teodosic	Olympiacos
2008-2009	Juan Carlos Navarro	F.C. Barcelona
2007-2008	Ramunas Siskauskas	CSKA Moscow
2006-2007	Theo Papaloukas	CSKA Moscow
2005-2006	Anthony Parker	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2004-2005	Anthony Parker	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2003-2004	Arvydas Sabonis	Zalgiris
2002-2003	Joseph Blair	Trabzonspor
2001-2002	Mirsad Turkcan	CSKA Moscow
2000-2001	Dejan Tomasevic	Buducnost

Euroleague Rising Stars

SEASON	PLAYER	TEAM
2019-2020	-	-
2018-2019	Goga Bitadze	Buducnost
2017-2018	Luka Doncic	Real Madrid
2016-2017	Luka Doncic	Real Madrid
2015-2016	Alex Abrines	F.C. Barcelona
2014-2015	Bogdan Bogdanovic	Fenerbahce
2013-2014	Bogdan Bogdanovic	Partizan
2012-2013	Kostas Papanikolaou	Olympiacos
2011-2012	Nikola Mirotic	Real Madrid
2010-2011	Nikola Mirotic	Real Madrid
2009-2010	Ricky Rubio	F.C. Barcelona
2008-2009	Novica Velickovic	Partizan
2007-2008	Danilo Gallinari	Milano
2006-2007	Rudy Fernandez	Joventut
2005-2006	Andrea Bargnani	Benetton Treviso
2004-2005	Erazem Lorbek	Bologna

Euroleague Defensive Player of the Year

SEASON	PLAYER	TEAM
2019-2020	-	-
2018-2019	Edy Tavares	Real Madrid
2017-2018	Kyle Hines	CSKA Moscow
2016-2017	Adam Hanga	Baskonia
2015-2016	Kyle Hines	CSKA Moscow
2014-2015	Bryant Dunston	Olympiacos
2013-2014	Bryant Dunston	Olympiacos
2012-2013	Stéphane Lasme	Panathinaikos
2011-2012	Andrei Kirilenko	CSKA Moscow
2010-2011	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2009-2010	Viktor Khryapa	CSKA Moscow
2008-2009	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2007-2008	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2006-2007	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2005-2006	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2004-2005	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos